Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)

Journeys International is built on a foundation of cross-cultural connection. We believe that every opportunity for individuals to reflect on their capacities to connect across cultures will enrich the quality of those connections. Cross-cultural connection is a skill that each of us can build over time. Anyone who invests in building that skill will have more gratifying interactions in the future.

Seeing how the IDI assesses your cross-cultural skillset will give you a new perspective on how you interact with people from backgrounds different from your own. The assessment may tune into aspects of your outlook that you don’t usually consider. When you have the chance to reflect on these results, you can find new self-awareness of your cross-cultural efficacy. Additional self-awareness will bring an opportunity for developmental growth. The IDI will also present a personalized framework for you to develop an Intercultural Development Plan to structure that growth. This can be useful way to deepen the cross-cultural learning opportunity on your travels.

The Intercultural Development Inventory measures “intercultural competence” – the capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities. Intercultural competence has been identified as a critical capability in studies evaluating the quality of interactions of overseas travelers, as well as international business adaptation, international student adjustment, international transfer of information, and interethnic relations within nations.

The IDI is a widely implemented measure of intercultural competence, used in more than 60 published research studies and more than 65 Ph.D. dissertations. It is also the tool of choice for hundreds of companies and universities seeking to develop intercultural competence among employees and students. Researchers have rigorously tested the IDI using extensive psychometric protocols and found it to possess high cross-cultural validity and reliability. Read more about the validation research on the IDI website.

YES! The IDI assesses and delivers results relevant in a variety of contexts, and its insights may be relevant in multiple areas of your life. In particular, when we travel we encounter people from cultures different than our own. The IDI helps you deepen these cross-cultural encounters. The results of the IDI will give you insights into your current orientation toward intercultural differences and how you might be likely to respond when someone else’s cultural background gives them a perspective different from your own. Debriefing your IDI results with a Qualified Administrator will help you reflect on whether your current orientation toward cultural differences will serve you well in achieving your goals for future travel, or whether you would like to develop your skill set further in order to experience your travels differently.

No. Our IDI licensing requires that results may only be released with a scheduled debrief meeting.

Although we at Journeys believe that the IDI assessment and debrief is a valuable source of insight for everyone, we also recognize that this form of self-reflection may not align with all travelers’ goals for their adventures. We don’t want to charge you for something you aren’t going to use. If individuals or organizations would like recommendations for other reflection resources, we are happy to talk further about your goals!

Helping other people experience gratifying cross-cultural interactions has been the essence of Journeys International’s work since 1978. We are whole-world practitioners, with experience in an abundance of cultures. Although we appreciate the integrity of the IDI as a valuable tool for delivering insight, it is only one tool in our toolbox. We bring expansive thinking about the applications of the IDI and how it can be integrated into transformational programming.

Dig into the IDI, LLC website to find all the information you desire.